After a recent internal demonstration, an employee likened the Destiny experience to Elite and Halo, before admitting that "there is a lot of work still to be done".

Staff members were shown the game's story, factions, art, engineering, tool chain, graphics, audio, player investment mechanisms, player progression, UI, and web and mobile apps, before viewing a walkthrough demonstration.

The live walkthrough, which featured "lots of atmospherics, huge amounts of trees and foliage, particle effects and dynamic lighting", was described as one of the day's highlights, prior to the hands-on session.

As part of a team of three, the staff member entered a battle zone and helped another group tackle a number of aliens, before the two factions went their separate ways.

Destiny is described as a "sci-fantasy, action shooter". It will also be "massively-multiplayer style" with "client-based mission structures with persistent elements".

The description of the game as a massively-multiplayer title matches rumours from 2011, which Bungie falsely claimed were a hoax at the time.

The first game in the four-part franchise is due to release in autumn of 2013, with subsequent releases in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Four downloadable expansion packs codenamed 'Comet' are also planned, and will release between the main franchise titles in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020.

According to a contract between Activision and Bungie, the first game in the series is tipped for release on Xbox 360 and its successor. A PlayStation 3 release will follow in 2014, once the title has undergone testing to ensure it will have parity with the Xbox 360 version.

The second Destiny game is due to be released on Xbox 360, the next Xbox, the next PlayStation and PC. Target platforms for the third and fourth Destiny titles are not listed.